Brief case or bag



Jan. 22, 1929.

Filed Aug- 4.

Patented Jan. 22, 1 929.

UNITED TITIAN W. JOHNSON, OF POTOMAGBEACH, 'VIRGINIA.

BRIEF CASE OR BAG.

Application f led Aug'llstA, 1927. Serial No 210,587.

This invention relates, to improvements in brief bags.

The objects of the. invention are generally those as set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 174,855, filed March 12, l927, that is to say, briefly to provide abrief bag or case characterized in" that ithas perm anent-ly attached thereto, andforming .a part thereof, an apparel section to whichaccess may be gained independently of access to the papers section of the bag.

However, an additional object of the pres ent invention is to so construct the case that it may conserve all of the outward appearances of an ordinary brief bag, there being nothing, without the closest inspection, to indicate otherwise. A still furtherpurpose is to so construct the bag that the fly or flap adapted more particularly, in the present instance, to cover and conceal and close the papers section, will. also envelope the upper edge of the apparel section, when saidflap is closed, but will in no way interfere with the independent opening and closing of the apparel section.

As a result of this arrangement of the flap it becomes unnecessary to employ more than one lock on the case, and that will preferably be a lock of the kind commonlyemployed to lock the flap or fly to the front of the papers section. The position anduse of .a lock of this character is so well knownthat it has not been illustrated in the present instance. As will appear the apparel section may be held closed by the ordinary hinge fasteners which need not be disturbed when opening the brief bag to gain access to the papers section.

From the following will at once appear a number of details of construction wherein the present bag differs from that illustrated in my copending application above referred to.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the case.

,Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the case open.

Figure ,3 is a vertical section taken ,about on line 3.3 of Figurel, the handle or grip being omitted.

Figure-4 isa detail section showing another manner of forming the box-like section. This corresponds to the construction shown in copending application hereinbefore referred to.

Referring to the drawings:

The numeral 1 designates the case as a whole; 2, theexpansible' papers sections, and 3, the apparel section. 'The papers section may, for the most part be made up in the usual way, that is to say, with a front wall at, intermediatepartitions 5, forming pockets, but the rear wall 6, of the last pocket of the. apparel section is preferably formed of stiffer or more rigid material and provided with a periph eral substantially L shaped flange 7, with whichthe part 6 and the cover therefor, forms a box-likemember, includinga cover 9 h inged to the lowerflange 7, by hinges 8, the. cover be ingadapted to fold flatwise against the other. i

portion of said box-like member to form ,a

closure. The upper edge of the apparel section, with parts carried by the upper flange 7, and the cover 9, is provided with cooperating fastening devices a, which can not be reached for opening the apparel section until the paper section is opened, as will appear.

The back part of. the bottom, and part of the front of the case isenveloped in a leather envelope 10. The lower end of this envelope is brought under the edge of the apparel section and up between the bottom of said section and the last pocket of the papers section, as indicated, by the numeral 11, where it may be secured by any suitable means. Thisenvelope-terminates at its upper end in a flap or fly 12, which may be held in place by, as before, intimated, a suitablelock, in addition to straps 13, which may extend as shown, en tirelyaround thecase or bag, as is common in ordinary brief bags. The back of the bag is provided with keepers ll, which are preferably stitched by stitches Z), to the back or envelope 10,,and this stitching, as indicated had better extend entirely through the cover sectionand serve asthe means for uniting the-envelopeand said section.

It will be noted that the rear wall of the last pocket of the apparel section gives tothe last pocket of the papers sectionsuch rigidity as to well adapt it for carrying drawings, photographs and other flat objects that ,may be liable to injury, did not this last pocket have the characteristics mentioned.

The front of the fly or flap is provided with usual keepers 15, for the straps 13, which co operate with the usual buckles 16.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the apparel section is almost completely concealed by the envelope 10, thus giving to the brief bag the appearance of an ordinary bag. Indeed, should it be found desirable, the ends of the apparel section need not extend flush with the end edges of the envelope l0, and the apparel section be dropped back at both ends, to further conceal the apparel section.

Obviously, to gain access to the papers section it is only necessary to throw the flap back, and the flap being integral with and forming a part of the envelope 10, need only be carried back to the extent permitted by the stitches which secure the top keepers 14:, to the lid or cover of the apparel section. The fastening devices a however, are of such character that they must be manually lifted or deliberately opened, consequently the movement of the fly or flap to expose the papers in the papers section will not, as intimated, open the apparel section. However, when these fastenings are manipulated for opening purposes the lid of the apparel section may be readily opened, turning on its hinges 8. Indeed, the hinges 8, may be dis pensed with and the part 17 of the envelope may serve as a hinge. However, I believe the hinges to be preferable because they serve as means for definitely locating the lid or cover relative to the box-liflre section, thus aiding in the opening and closing of said section.

In manufacture the rear wall of the papers section, which is at the same time the bottom of the apparel section, may be made of any suitable material, as also may be the cover, as these parts are concealed and it is not necessary to make them of expensive leather. The material of the envelope however, and that portion of the papers section exposed to sight will ordinarily be made of the same material used in the construction of brief bags and other luggage, either leather or leather substitute.

Referring to the slight modification shown in Figure l, the numeral 18, designates a peripheral flange, which is attached to the part 19, which serves the same purpose as the part 6, in the main figures. In such construction the part 19 may preferably be made of thinner material than the corresponding part 6, rigidity being given to the rear wall of the last poc lret by reason of the permanent attachment of the flange 18, and its extension around the periphery of the part 19.

While in the bag illustrated the deeper portion of the box-like member is shown as having the papers section or pocket portion secured to it, obviously the box-like member may be reversed and the cover portion of said member be attached to the pockets and the deeper portion secured to the envelope.

Having thus described the invention, what claimed as new, is:

1. A brief case having an expansible pocket, the rear wall of which is made rigid by the permanent att chment of a stiff boxlike member, said poc et portion being open at the top edge, and an envelope member attached to the outer portion of the box-like member, and foldable over both sections.

2. A brief case including a pocket portion, a stiff box-like member permanentlysecured to the pocket portion and forming a rigid rear wall therefor, said pocket portion being open at its upper edge, and an envelope member secured to the lower portion of the boxlike member at the pocket portion and extending around the box-lilke member and over the opening of the pocket portion to en close the boxlike member and cover the pocket opening.

3. A brief case including a pocket portion, a stiff boxlike member permanently secured to the pocket portion and forming a rigid rear wall therefor, said box-like member including a cover arranged to swing at one edge towardand from the pocket portion to close and open the box-like member, said pocket portion being open at its upper edge, and an envelope member secured to the lower portion of the box-like member at the pocket portion and extending around the box-like member and over the opening of the pocket portion to enclose the boxlilre member and cover the pocket opening.

4:. A brief case including a pocket portion, a stiff boX-li ke member permanently secured to the pocket portion and forming a rigid rear wall therefor, said pocket portion being open at its upper edge, an envelope member secured to the lower portion of the box-like member at the pocket portion and extending around the box-like member and over the opening of the pocket portion to enclose the box-like member and cover the pocket opening, and means to secure the free edge of the envelope member to the front of the pocket portion.

5. A brief case including a pocket portion, a stiff box-like member permanently secured to the pocket portion and forming a rigid rear wall therefor, said box-like member including a cover arranged to swing at one edge toward and from the pocket portion to close and open the box-like member, said pocket portion being open at its upper edge, an envelope member secured to the lower portion of the box-lilke member at the pocket portion and extending around the box-like member and over the opening of the pocket portion to enclose the box-like member and cover the pocket opening, and means to secure the free edge of the envelope member to the front of the pocket portion.

6. A brief case including a pocket portion, a stiff box-like member permanently secured to the pocket portion and forming a rigid rear wall therefor, said pocket portion being open at its upper edge, said box-like member including a main portion and a cover hinged to said main portion at its lower edge, and an envelope member secured to the boX- like member adjacent its lower edge and extending around the bottom, side and top of the box-like member and over the open edge of the pocket portion to close the latter.

7. A brief case including a pocket portion, a stiff box-like member permanently secured to the pocket portion and forming a rigid rear wall therefor, said pocket portion being open at its upper edge, said box-like member including a main portion and a cover hinged to said main portion at its lower edge, an envelope member secured to the box-like member adjacent its lower edge and extending around the bottom, side and top of the box-like member and over the open edge of the pocket portion to close the latter, and means to secure the free edge of the envelope member to the. front of the pocket portion.

8. A brief case including a pocket provided papers section having expansible edge portions, a stiff box-likemember forming an apparel section and permanently secured to the papers section to stiffen the same against bodily flexure, said apparel section including hinged elements closing one against the other, an envelope member secured to the outermost of said elements and folding over both sections.

9. A brief case including an expansible papers section having associated therewith an apparel section, comprising a shallow, rigid, box-like member adapted, in addition to serving as an apparel container, to brace the papers section against bodily flexure and a flap attached to the apparel section, and adapted, when the case is closed, to overlap both sections to form a closure for the papers section and to permit access to the apparel section only when said flap is in open position.

10. A brief case including an expansible pocket section having edgewise openings, a box-like member associated therewith adapted to serve as an apparel section and to bra es the pocket section against bodily flexure, a flap secured to the apparel section and adapted to overlap both sections and form a closure for the pocket section and permit access to said apparel section only when said flap is open.

11. brief case including an expansible pocket section having edgewise openings, a box-like member associated therewith and adapted to serve as an apparel section and to brace the pocket section against bodily flexure, an envelope enveloping the box-like member and having one edge secured between said member and pocket section and the other terminating in a flap adapted to overlap the pocket section and form a closure therefor.

12. A brief case including an eXpansible papers section having edgewise openings. there being permanently associated with said section an apparel section comprising a shallow boxlike member opening fiatwise, said member in addition to serving as an apparel container being adapted to brace the papers section against bodily fiexure and a flap attached to the apparel section, and adapted, when the case is closed, to overlap both sections to form a closure for the papers section and permit access to the apparel section only when the flap is open.

13. A brief case including an expansible pocket section having edgewise openings, a boxlike member permanently associated therewith and opening fiatwise, said member being adapted to serve as an apparel section and to brace the pocket section against bodily fiexure, a flap secured to the apparel section and adapted to overlap both of the sections to form a closure for the pocket section and permit access to the apparel section only when the flap is open.

14. A brief case including an expansible pocket section having edgewise openings, a boxlike member associated therewith and opening flatwise, said member being adapted to serve as an apparel section and to brace the pocket section against bodily flexure, an envelope enveloping the boxlike member and having one edge secured between the memher and the pocket section and the other terminating in a flap adapted to overlap the pocket section and form a closure therefor.

In testimony whereof he hereunto affixes his signature.

TITIAN W. JOHNSON. 

